You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
NEWS<br />
18 <strong>Ashburton</strong> <strong>Courier</strong>, <strong>August</strong> <strong>20</strong>, <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong><br />
Cass Street trees gone<br />
www.ashburtoncourier.co.nz<br />
School speed signs in<br />
Arborists have been working this<br />
week to remove 11 juvenile Pin<br />
Oaks from Cass Street. The trees<br />
will be replaced as part of the<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> District Council’s<br />
major CBD upgrade. Some of the<br />
oaks were to have remained but<br />
arborist inspections found they<br />
would be potentially dangerous if<br />
left to grow to their full height.<br />
Council infrastructure services<br />
manager Neil McCann said the<br />
CBD streetscape project was a<br />
major overhaul and while the Pin<br />
Oaks were going, more trees and<br />
greenery would be planted.<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>DistrictCouncil<br />
has formally adopted a<br />
numberofspeed limit<br />
changes around thedistrict,<br />
including newspeed limits<br />
outsideschools.<br />
The speed limit changes<br />
will go to Land Information<br />
NewZealandtobe gazetted<br />
and made legal,and new<br />
signs will be erected in the<br />
coming months.<br />
There was someconfusion<br />
at last week’s full council<br />
meetingtoadopt the<br />
changes,with council<br />
roading managerBrian<br />
Fauth saying he believedthe<br />
recommendation did not<br />
include changes to school<br />
zone speed limitsatthis<br />
stage.<br />
Mr Fauth said the<br />
Government had indicated<br />
the speed limit outside of<br />
urban schools was likely to<br />
be reduced to 30kmh, rather<br />
than the40kmh limit that<br />
council was now proposing.<br />
He said thespeed limit<br />
outsideofruralschools<br />
remained unchanged from<br />
the new proposed limit of<br />
60kmh.<br />
He suggested another<br />
report on the school speed<br />
limit changes to council at a<br />
later date.<br />
The council supported new<br />
speed limit changes on some<br />
roads and outsideofschools<br />
atits InfrastructureServices<br />
Committee meeting last<br />
monthand after community<br />
consultation andhearings.<br />
Longbeach School pupils Taylor Lamont, Freya Jemmett and<br />
Yasmin Larry, all 12, were among Mid Canterbury students to<br />
campaign for areduced road speed outside their school.<br />
Cr DianeRawlinsonsaid<br />
the council had already<br />
agreed thenew school speed<br />
limit changes.<br />
They should be included in<br />
the recommendation to full<br />
council and the project<br />
startedassoon as possible.<br />
Cr Stewart Wilson agreed,<br />
saying: ‘‘Ifyou waited for the<br />
Government to make<br />
changes, you could be<br />
waitingalongtime’’.<br />
‘‘Get the speed changes<br />
gazetted and getthe signs<br />
in,’’ he said.<br />
Cr Carolyn Cameron said<br />
signs wereneeded now,not<br />
later, because the safety of<br />
children in this district was<br />
at stake.<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong>council will<br />
nowspeakwith schools<br />
about the placementofsigns<br />
and the types of signs<br />
required.<br />
Signage will include more<br />
expensive active variable<br />
signs controlled by schools at<br />
peak times, and static signs.<br />
Covid sees rates penalty waived<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> district<br />
ratepayers experiencing<br />
financialhardship and who<br />
are late on their rates<br />
instalmentsthis financial<br />
yearcanapply for late<br />
penalty fees to be written off,<br />
evenifthey have already<br />
receivedassistance in the<br />
last two years.<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> District Council<br />
hasadopted changes to the<br />
Rates Remission Policy,<br />
which hadpreviously limited<br />
how often late penalty fees<br />
could be writtenoff to only<br />
onceevery 24 months.<br />
Councilagreed to waive<br />
this limit in April ahead of<br />
the last rates instalment for<br />
the <strong>20</strong>19/<strong>20</strong> year, however<br />
this was on aonceoff basis<br />
and did not apply to the<br />
<strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong>/21financialyear.<br />
After consulting on the<br />
proposed changeswith the<br />
community, councillors have<br />
now formally adopted them<br />
ahead of thisyear’s first rates<br />
instalment which is due now.<br />
<strong>Ashburton</strong> mayor Neil<br />
Brown says theamendment<br />
recognises the financial<br />
difficultiesmanyfamilies<br />
may be in as aconsequence<br />
ofCovid19.<br />
‘‘New Zealand's closed<br />
bordersand various<br />
restrictions have left many<br />
veryuncertain of their<br />
financialsecurity.<br />
‘‘As it stands, the<br />
Government's wage subsidy<br />
extensionschemes will<br />
finish up by Decemberand<br />
we arelikely to see people in<br />
our communityfacing<br />
hardship.<br />
‘‘The council understands<br />
this is avery difficult time for<br />
alot of people andwantto<br />
make sure that those who are<br />
struggling or whomay<br />
strugglein the months ahead<br />
are not faced with additional<br />
fees because they were<br />
unable to paytheir rateson<br />
time.’’<br />
The new changesonly<br />
applytothe <strong>20</strong><strong>20</strong>/21 year.<br />
Enter now! Entries close Friday, 25 September<br />
See malvernarts.org.nz/artweek forfurther details &entryform
Change language